Integral molded article



March 1, 1932. p CHAPUN 1,848,056

INTEGRAL MOLDED ARTICLE Filed Feb. 15. 1929 F l II I ll 1 l 1 1 i a ,::XIX

l II l j 1| ll 1 l1 4' z 5 5 10061150;- flerlcBCYlaplua Patented Mar. 1,1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MERLE Y. GHAPLIN, OF WATEBVILLE, MAINE,ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO FIDELITY TRUST COMPANY, OF PORTLAND,MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE, AB

TRUSTEE INTEGRAL MOLDED ARTICLE Application filed February 15, 1929.Serial No. 340,171.

My resent invention relates to the production of articles from fibrepulp or like material by continuous deposit, as from different kinds ofstock, so that certain desired 1 characteristics may be attained in theultimate product. For example, certain finer grades of pulp, or pulp ofcertain desired color, or other characteristics can be used in one partof the article and merged with other less expensive or difierentlyfibred stock in another part of the article. A characteristic exampleofsuch a product is a plate or container in which the interior portionis of a coarser stock, while the exterior surfaces are of finer stockbleached or colored to give the desired finish.

Such articles as have heretofore been produced have been built up insuccessive layers of laminations, but the difficulty has been that suchlayers or laminations were distinct and superimposed on each other andhence could not be adequately interfelted, with the result that due tovariations in shrinkage and other reasons, warping and crackingoccurred.

My invention contemplates an article and a method ofproducing such anarticle which 1 is distinguished from all previous articles and methodsby its inte rality or what might be called the continuity of its fibredeposit. Such articles produced by my method have no line of cleavage ordemarcation between the distinctive pulp stocks, but have instead amerging of these stocks in a continuous progression so that there is ablending of the interfelted fibres which precludes that sharpdifferentiation which heretofore was thought necessary.

Furthermore, according to my method and apparatus the fibred deposit onthe die is 0 continuous with no intermediate exposures to atmosphericpressure so that the article is fibred continuously and thoroughlyinterfelted throughout the depth of the deposit.

The apparatus for the practice of my meth- 0d and the production of myarticle contemplates various advantages in structure and operation tothe end that the article may be produced efficiently and economically incommercial quantities.

The various factors and relationships in- Fig. 2 is a diagrammaticindication of my method of producing such an article.

Referring first to the article as shown in Fig. 1, this may beconsidered for the purposes of the present discussion as a plate formedon a molding die b the suction deposit of water solutions of ifierentpulps.

The inner surface A may be considered as a deposit of afine grade pulp,for exam ple, and the outer zone B apure deposit of the same or someother pulp, while the cen- ,tral core G of the plate may be consideredas of a rough strong fibred'pulp of less expensive quality.

Intermediate of the deposits A and C and i B and C is a depth ofmergings of these stocks. These mergings may be characterized assomewhat progressive, although it is of course difiicult to illustratesuch variations in the drawings. The character of these mergings becomesapparent; however, by reference to the diagram of Fig. 2. In thisdiagram I have illustrated a tank which is partitioned to provide threecompartments,

numbered 1, 2 and 3, respectively, with connecting passages or chambers4 and 5 so positioned that by relative movement the die X passes throughthe pulp solutions A, C and B with an intermediate scavenging of theintermediate channels or chambers 4 and 5 in which the, pulp stock fromthe adjacent compartments merge by the inflow due to the hydrostatichead of the stock in the respective compartments. The die X illustratedis preferably one of a series so that the operation is continuous, justsuflicient time being allowed between each scavenging passage of the diethrough the intermediate mixing integral article in which the respectivefiberings are continuously merged into each other without any distinctlines of cleavage or demarcation as has been the case where the suc'cessive deposits were simply applied as successire layers or laminae.

In other words, considered merely as a fibre deposit and regardless ofthe fact that the fibre is differentiated, the deposit may be said to behomogeneous and the interfelting of the fibre continuous. There is noexposure to atmospheric pressure to flatten any por tion of the fibresas they are deposited and due to the intermingling of the differentfibres, there is no line of demarcation so that the different structureswhile being perfectly pure at the surface and showing the desiredcharacteristics in full, amalgamate with the stock of the succeedingstep through the blending of the fibre.

Various modifications in both apparatus and method as well as manyvariations in character and purpose of the pulp solutions used mayobviously be resorted to. For example, color effects may be produced inany part of the article by use of an appropriately colored solution in aselected compartment. These and all such variations are simplyindicative of the latitude of my invention and are to be considered aswithin the spirit and scope thereof if within the limits of the appendedclaims.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a plate, or other contoured orshaped container made of molded pulp, with or without the. addition ofwater-resistantor grease-proofing materials. and consisting ot at leasttwo successive suction deposits of fibres of different characteristicssaid deposits being progressively interfelted and interlaced with eachother by a suction bond which is commonto and is a composite of all ofsaid deposits and which bond interlocks said deposits together as anintegral, homogeneous article in which the several deposits aremergingly integrated with each other as a dense, compact unitary 2. As anew article of manufacture, a die molded plate, dish, or other contouredor shaped container made of molded pulp, with or without the addition ofwater-resistant or grease-proofing materials, and consisting of at leasttwo successive suction deposits of fibres of different characteristics,said deposits being interfelted and interlaced flatwise with each otherwithout sudden transition from one deposit to another by a sucpalacestion bond which is common to and is a composite of all of said depositsand which bond interlocks said deposits together as an integral,homogeneous article in which the several deposits are merginglyintegrated with each other as a dense compact unitary mass.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a molded fibre plate, dish or othercontoured or shaped container comprising a deposit of one kind of pulpand a deposit of another kind of pulp intermediately bonded together bya suction bond which is acomposite of said deposits and whichinterfelt-s and interlocks said deposits to each other as an integralhomogeneous article.

4. As a new article, a plate, dish or other contoured or. shapedcontainer comprising a relatively thick body portion composed of onekind of fibres and a relatively thin surfacing composed of another kindof fibres interfelted with said body portion by a suction bond which isa composite of the two kinds of fibres constituting the body portion andsurfacing and which forms the deposits into a dense compactedhomogeneous article.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a molded pulp plate, dish or othercontoured or shaped container, comprising a body portion of one kind offibres, a surfacing of another kind of fibres, and an intermediatebonding consisting of a composite of said two kinds of fibres whichinterfelts and interlocks them together as an integral homogeneousarticle.

6.1m anew article of manufacture, a molded fibre plate, dish, or othercontoured container, comprising a deposit of one kind of pulp and adeposit of another kind of pulpintermediately bonded to ether by an airexcluding suction bond w ich prevents blistering in the ultimatearticle, said bond being a composite of said deposits and acting tocontinuously interfelt and interlock said deposits to each other as anintegral homogeneous article. I

7. A. molded fibre plate, dish or other contoured container of wet laid.pulp, comprising at least two successive deposits of fibres ofdifferent characteristic and a transitional mixture of said fibredeposits which is a MERLE P. CHAPLIN.

